THE planned new fountain for Ilkley town centre is moving forward with a scale model of the proposed design nearing completion.

The design put forward by artist Juliet Gutch and her husband Jamie was chosen by the Improving Ilkley team after an open call for ideas.

The gravity-fed fountain takes its inspiration from the sphagnum moss on Ilkley Moor that helps create the famous landmark's peat.

A group from Improving Ilkley have made a visit to the fabricator who is creating a 1:5 scale exact model of the fountain, which will be shown to local people so they can envisage the finished fountain.

Artist and blacksmith James Wilkinson, based near Boroughbridge, has "interpreted the design with great artistry and exceptional technical skill" said Juliet, who also took part in the visit.

She added: "The model is an exact 1:5 scale replica of the final sculpture, and although the shaping of the metal has been carried out by hand, the measurements have all been digitized so that the next scaling up to full-size will be significantly quicker and easier.

"The model now needs to be galvanised, cleaned and scrubbed, and then etched in order to give it the matt, chalky finish which has been decided upon for the fountain, so that it will sit naturally within its setting and blend organically with the colours and textures around it."

The model is due to be finished during the week of 18th March, after which images will be released and a confirmed list of places where it can be viewed.

Architect Anthony Barnett, engineer Ian Whitlam, Improving Ilkley Trustee Louise Hepworth-Wood also took part in the visit. Juliet said: “It is always exciting to forge new collaborations between Yorkshire artists, and the Ilkley Fountain project is a precious opportunity for us all.

"It is a privilege for us to work alongside James Wilkinson, a talented Yorkshire artist and metalworker whose work we have admired for some time at Harlow Carr, as we develop our designs together and bring the fountain design to life for the first time.

"We are looking forward to sharing the model with the Ilkley community in a few weeks’ time”.

The Improving Ilkley team also thanked the donors, who would prefer to remain anonymous, who offered to specifically fund the scale model for the purposes of developing the project.